On This Date

by Derek

I hold this concert very dear to my heart as it was my first-ever concert experience. My Mum was (and is) a huge U2 fan and decided the best birthday present i could get (just turned 13) would be for her to take me to see U2 at Sydney's Entertainment Centre.

There were two support acts; The Australian band 'Weddings,Parties, Anything' and BB King. BB King was amazingly funky and his horn section was fantastic.

I remember U2 opening with Hawkman 269 which blew me away...literally!! This was one of my fave songs off Rattle & Hum so i was estatic when they opened with this song (rare on this tour). I had never heard anything so loud before and actually put cotton buds in my ear (the one and only time i ever did this at a concert!). Bono's voice was so strong that night and after having been obsessed with the Rattle & Hum album i was glad to know most of the material. BB Kings' band guested on some songs which was cool. I also remember Bono brigning up this girl on stage to play acoustic guitar for one song - i think it was 'Desire' as Bono told her it was really easy and only 3 chords.

All-in-all a great show and showed U2 as being one of the best bands around.